Happy New Year Leonardo
by Leonardo1885
Summary: Alone on a cold New Year's Eve. Melody gets a great start to the new year when a stranger saves her. eng


**A/N: Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I was going to do a Christmas story but just couldn't get it out. So it turned into a New Year's story instead, it seemed to come more easily. I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year's Eve and that 2015 is a great year for everyone. **

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><p>The night was cold. But that didn't surprise Melody. She shivered a little inside her coat and zipped the heavy winter coat up to her chin and pulled on her gloves as she started down the street.<p>

All around her New York City was just as busy as usual. It was something that Melody was still trying to adjust to. Working a later shift she had at first expected there to be a change on how the city looked when it was closer to midnight, but the biggest change were all the lights. The city never seemed to sleep. Quite a difference from where she'd grown up and it was something she was slowly getting used to.

Thankfully the busy Christmas season was over, but with it being so close to New Years people still seemed in a hurry to get to where they were going, rushing around frantically and just as unfriendly as ever if they seemed to think you were in the way.

Melody shifted her purse on her shoulder and headed down the street, debating on taking a cab. The subway seemed to attract some of the scarier characters of New York after dark, and traveling alone Melody knew she'd be an easy target for someone looking for a mugging.

Cabs were expensive, and hard to catch because someone else was usually already in them. Melody had opted to sell her car before she'd moved to the city and on nights like this she regretted it. As horrible as the traffic was it seemed a more pleasant option than trying to catch a busy cab driver or take the subway.

Her apartment wasn't too far, she could walk. But the icy streets and her high heel shoes again made that option rather unappealing.

She bit her lip, debating as she glanced up at the heavy clouds above. The weatherman had promised snow. Melody wouldn't be surprised if he was right. The night air made her shiver again and she began to walk toward the subway station. It wouldn't be a long trip and she could get home faster taking the subway rather than trying to hail a cab and then be stuck in traffic.

Melody adjusted the collar of her coat as she walked, trying to cover her exposed neck since her short red hair just barely brushed the top of it. On nights like this she missed her long hair. But keeping it short made it so much easier to maintain.

Her mind wandered a little as she walked down the street. Thinking back to the lonely Christmas holiday she'd spent alone in her little apartment with only the goldfish she'd name Brigham for company. He hadn't seem interested in her festivities as she'd sat down with a bottle of wine and a TV dinner to watch some of the Christmas specials she'd seen a hundred times before. The evening had been quiet and Melody had found herself feeling homesick for the first time in months.

She missed her mother's three course dinner, the laughter, the carols, decorating the tree, her little brother, her big sister. Her mother had begged her to come home for Christmas of course, but money had been too tight for travel this year. Melody had promised she would come home soon and had come up with the excuse that she had to work late Christmas Eve to get ready for a big business meeting they had the following week. It hadn't been completely untrue. There was a big business meeting in a few days. Melody just didn't need to be there for it.

Melody sighed to herself. It didn't look like New Year's was going to be more entertaining than Christmas had been for her. She glanced inside one store and debated for a split second before entering. She found what she was looking for within a few minutes and within fifteen minutes was again making her way to the subway, a new bottle of wine in a brown bag to keep her company for the night.

Her heels clicked on the sidewalk, just loud enough for her to hear them over the other sounds of the city. Her eyes rolled over the displays in the nearby windows without much interest. Most of the stores were changing their displays now that Christmas was over.

A half a block away from the subway entrance the small hairs on the back of Melody's neck began to tingle. She frowned, shivering again and rubbed the back of her neck uneasily, glancing over her shoulder.

Just a few feet away a man was leaning against a nearby building, the collar of his trench coat had been readjusted around his neck and his hands were in his pockets. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to her.

Melody's eyes quickly scanned in the opposite direction but she saw nothing that would explain the uneasy feeling she had. She shifted her purse on her shoulder and picked up the pace, eager to get to the subway station.

The softest noise was her only warning. The hand that grabbed her arm was hard and rough. The bag with the wine in it fell from her grip and she heard the glass bottle shatter against the ground before her head slammed into the unyielding brick wall of a building. Stars exploded in her vision and pain seared the back of her head. She couldn't focus. Some small part of her mind screamed at her that she was in real trouble but she felt as if she were detached from her body. As if she were watching from far away.

The strap on her purse broke as it was roughly ripped away from her and she heard whoever had grabbed her going through it, supposedly looking for cash. She put a hand to her head and felt something soaking through the material of her gloved fingers. Her legs were shaky after the blow she'd taken to the head and refused to hold her. She sank to her knees with a groan. Still holding her head.

Through the pounding in her head and the nausea that had come with the headache she thought she heard a strange noise. A grunt of pain? Thumping noises? A crash? Perhaps the mugger had taken what he'd been after and was running away? Had he taken her whole purse with him? She was pretty sure she had a concussion. She had to call the police. But her cell phone was in her purse…

"Miss… are you alright?"

Melody lifted her head at the sound of the voice. A figure hidden in the shadows of the alley was standing close by. She couldn't quite make out his shape, but she noticed he moved further back when she lifted her head to look at him, as if he didn't want her to see him.

"Hit my head…. " Melody mumbled looking down at the sidewalk again.

"The police are on their way."

The tone of his voice and the way he spoke those words told her that he was going to leave. That he wanted to leave before the police arrived and fear shot through her. What if the mugger hadn't been alone? What if he came back? What if someone else less friendly than this mysterious stranger showed up before the police did?

"No, wait! Please, don't leave me!"

The figure in the darkness seemed to hesitate, half turning as if he could see her clearly from where he stood in the shadows.

"Please, don't leave me alone." Melody could hear herself begging but couldn't stop herself. She knew muggings were something that happened every day in New York. She heard about people at work who knew someone who had been mugged, or how they had almost been mugged themselves. Most people looked the other way, no one got involved, but for some reason this man had. He had saved her, and he didn't even want her to know who he was. She felt safer with him there – she didn't want him to leave.

"The police will be here in a few minutes… " The voice of the faceless stranger was stressed, tense and uneasy.

"Please," Melody begged again. "Please don't leave me alone."

She heard a soft sigh and the figure turned back to her moving a few feet closer, but stayed hidden in the shadows, his outline unclear in the darker shadows.

Melody relaxed, knowing he'd stay now. That she wasn't alone.

She shivered had the night gotten colder? It was so cold, and she was so tired. It wouldn't hurt if she closed her eyes for just a minute would it?

"Don't go to sleep!"

Melody's eyes snapped open again. She lifted her head tiredly as she shivered again. "'M tired."

"You've got a concussion you need to stay awake. You took a pretty good hit to the head."

Melody leaned her head back against the building as she stared at the dark shadows, trying to make out her rescuer. But his outline didn't become any clearer, no matter how many times she blinked her eyes.

"You saved me… "

The shadows seemed to shift as the stranger moved. He didn't speak.

"Most people wouldn't have bothered… "

"I'm not most people," he sounded a little annoyed by her assumption.

"I know… most people in New York… mind their own business."

"Suppose it's easier for them to turn a blind eye that way."

"What's… your name?" Melody felt sluggish. As if she were stuck in mud, her tongue felt heavy and her mouth felt full of cotton.

"Open your eyes."

Melody opened her eyes, she hadn't even been aware of the fact that she closed them.

"Can you tell me your name? Where you are?" The voice sounded concerned now.

"Melody Patorick… and somewhere between the Atlantic and Pacific."

"You need to stay awake Melody." The voice said firmly. "The police will be here soon. And the paramedics."

"You didn't answer the question."

"What question?"

Melody frowned annoyed. She knew he had to remember her question but he was clearly ignoring it. He didn't want her to know who he was. For whatever reason he wanted his identity to remain a secret.

From not too far away she heard the familiar wail of a siren as it raced toward her location.

She saw the shadows shift again as the stranger moved further back into the alley's shadows.

"Wait… "

"The police are almost here. You're safe now."

"Please… "

"What is it?"

"Just tell me why. Why'd you save me?"

The sirens got closer as the stranger in the darkness seemed to think about his answer for a split second.

"Because my father taught me to always do the right thing." He said at last.

Melody leaned her head against the bricks. The flashing lights of the racing police cars got closer, just a short block away please.

"You saved my life but don't want me to know who you are? Not even your name? How am I supposed to thank you properly if I don't even know your name?"

The stranger was barely visible in the shadows now, clearly moving away from the lights of the sirens. He paused for a second, but only a second.

"Leonardo. And you don't have to thank me."

Melody barely had time to process this before she realized he had gone just as the flashing lights of the police car blinded her. She closed her eyes against the lights and heard the car doors open.

A hand touched her shoulder. "Ma'am, are you alright? Where are you hurt? Can you tell me your name?"

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><p>Hamato Leonardo half crouched from his position on the roof, watching as the police officer approached the injured young woman. She lifted her hand to her head again, her blood stained glove again touching the wound there and she winced.<p>

The officer said something into the radio on his jacket, probably calling an ambulance.

She would be ok now. She was in the right hands.

Leonardo turned and raced away across the rooftops, he had family waiting.

As he hurried across the rooftops in the direction of the lair a few snowflakes began to drift lazily from the sky. He picked up the pace, but kept his speed well disciplined, over all Leonardo strived for control in everything he did. Rooftop runs were no exception to that.

The familiar sounds of the city surrounded him. The honking of impatient drivers, the occasional sound of a boom box below as someone blasted loud punk music, he even heard the rhythmic clicking of a horse's hooves as one of the carriages headed down the street. The familiar smells were welcoming. This was home. His home. His family's home. He couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Still sometimes people here in New York surprised him. Like the young woman he'd saved tonight.

The guy had just been another Purple Dragon rookie, trying to work his way up in the ranks of the gang and had spotted her as an easy target. Leonardo had arrived just in time to see the young dragon throwing her purse down the alley in disgust, obviously not pleased with whatever he'd found in there and had turned back to the young red head, the glint of the knife in his hand immediately catching Leonardo's eye. Leonardo hadn't even hesitated. The shadows of the alley he knew had been enough to hide his shape from the injured young woman, but he shouldn't have worried. She had a head injury and seemed dazed and confused about where she was, let alone what was going on around her.

Leonardo had easily taken out the purple dragon and had secured him for the police before making the 911 call. He'd then picked up the young woman's bag in his gloved hand and had set it down next to… Melody. That had been her name. Her flaming red hair reminded him of April. But her eyes were a bright vivid blue when they were illuminated by the light that tried to make its way into the darker shadows.

He'd been ready to take off, to return to the darkness. To allow the night to simply swallow him up so he could fade away without a trace. A ninja should strike fast and fade away without a trace. He had been trained to do just that all his life. But he had hesitated when she had begged him to stay. Most people seemed almost as afraid of them as they were their attackers. Leonardo was sure it was because he and his brothers always remained hidden in the shadows, not allowing anyone to see them. Humans were afraid of what they could not see. When they couldn't put a face to their rescuer. But tonight she hadn't seemed afraid of him, she was afraid of being alone.

Leonardo knew that the police were coming and he wouldn't have to wait long. Reluctantly, he had waited in the darker shadows of the alley with her. He had seen her peering in the direction his voice had come from a few times, trying to make out his shape. He had always moved further back into the shadows. Even with the bulky shape of his sweater and baggy pants Donatello insisted they wear when they go out in the cold weather he knew his shape wouldn't give off the same appearance as a human. The large shell on his back stretched the sweater out in the wrong direction and his twin katana still stuck out over the top of his shell. He was sure if she saw this it would frighten her more than she had already been frightened.

Leonardo flipped onto the next building and then made his way to the fire escape, scaling down it with practiced ease. He knew that Master Splinter would not be pleased that he had stayed with the young woman. It had been a risk. She could have had her phone, she could have taken his picture. Seen him. He could have risked the exposure of his entire family. Shame quickly hit him and his pace slowed for a quick second as he reached the ground. What had he been thinking? He should have just left. He could have watched from the rooftop. He would have known she was safe, and he would have eliminated the possibility of being spotted. Of exposing his family. Why did this girl make him pause?

He heard laughing and a few voices approaching and quickly hid himself behind the large dumpster, concealing himself until the voices faded. Then, moving quickly he made his way to the manhole cover, and disappeared to the depths within.

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><p>"Maybe we should go look fer 'im." Raphael said frowning as he shifted his baby daughter in his arms. Keiko shifted a little in her blankets but didn't wake.<p>

"Don't worry so much, Raphie. It's Leo. He can take care of himself." Michelangelo grinned as he wrapped an arm around his wife. Although the couple had been together for over a year and a half they hadn't been married long enough to be out of the honeymoon stage yet, and it was hard for the young turtle to think of anything other than his wife.

"No Raph's right, Mike. Leo should have been back by now."

"Come on, he'd have hit that button on his shell cell if he was in trouble," Michelangelo protested.

"Unless he can't, Mike. It wouldn't be the first time… " Donatello's voice trailed off, as memories surfaced for the brothers.

"I'm goin'," Raphael growled.

"Raph, Mike and I will go. Elizabeth needs you to… "

Donatello stopped as the main door to the lair opened and a familiar figure stepped into the warmth of the lair.

"LEO!"

Michelangelo's enthusiastic cry was followed by several shushing gestures. But it was too late. Keiko shifted and opened her eyes and began to wail.

"Nice goin', Mike." Raphael growled.

Michelangelo had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry, Raph."

Elizabeth came out of the kitchen rubbing her hands on a small hand towel with Donatello's fiancé Sabrina right behind her. The two women had just finished Sabrina's latest order for a customer who wanted it delivered early the next morning.

"Raph?"

"The chucklehead woke her up," Raphael turned to his wife and handed her their young daughter.

"It's almost time for her to eat, so she would have woken up soon anyway," Elizabeth smiled tiredly and headed upstairs to the couple's bedroom to nurse their daughter in private.

"Leo, where have you been bro? We were starting to get worried."

Raphael suppressed the urge to smack the back of Michelangelo's head. Michelangelo hadn't been worried. He'd been too busy kissing Melinda most of the night to be worried about the blue banded turtle. But worry for his older brother trumped beating on the youngest turtle for now. Raphael's amber eyes narrowed as he looked at his oldest brother. Leonardo was calmly taking off the loose sweater and pants.

"Sorry, Mike. Lost track of the time."

"Oh, thought you had a hot date that you didn't… "

Raphael's growl cut his brother off and Michelangelo ducked before Raphael's hand could connect with his head.

"You hurt, Leo?" Donatello's chocolate brown eyes swept over his brother, automatically searching for injuries.

Leonardo shook his head. "I'm fine, Don. Really."

"Well, you made it back just in time, Leo. It's almost midnight!" Michelangelo's enthusiasm wasn't going to be dampened by his the worries of his two older brothers. Leonardo was back and he was clearly fine.

"Ya sure yer alright, Leo?" Though he may not be physically injured there was something in his brother's dark brown eyes that Raph didn't like. Something Leonardo was trying to hide from them.

"Yeah, Raph. I'm sure." Leonardo's mouth twisted up into a half grin. He headed for the kitchen to start a pot of tea, as he usually did when he came back from his runs.

Raphael relaxed a little. If something were seriously wrong, or was bugging Leo that badly he would have gone straight to Splinter's room to discuss it with their father. The fact that he felt relaxed enough to go and make himself some tea first told Raphael that Leonardo wasn't that bothered by it.

Donatello nudged his arm. "He looks ok, Raph. I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah, yer probably right, Donny." Raphael's shoulders relaxed and he glanced up at his closed bedroom door where his wife was waiting with their baby. He knew she wasn't going to make it down in time to celebrate with the others until after the baby was done nursing. He looked at Donatello who was smiling at him in understanding.

"Go on, Raph. We aren't going anywhere."

Raphael smiled, put his hand on his brother's shoulder briefly before hurrying up the stairs so he could be with his wife.

An arm snaked around Donatello's waist and he smiled at Sabrina, his own arm wrapping around her shoulder's holding her close.

"Ten… nine… eight… seven… six…five…four… three… two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Melinda and Michelangelo threw confetti at each other and laughed as it flew everywhere, including the drinks they had sitting on the coffee table.

Donatello grinned. Melinda liked have fun almost as much as Michelangelo did. Though she was easily the most stylish of the three women that lived in the lair, at times like these her energetic and free loving spirit really seemed to shine. He knew his brother couldn't have found a better match. When Michelangelo needed grounding Melinda was there to help him, but Melinda also recognized Michelangelo's free spirit and she shared that with her own.

Sabrina's soft hand squeezed his arm and his eyes snapped to her face once again. He smiled at her. He had been so lucky. He still couldn't believe that Sabrina had given up everything to come and live with him and his family here in the city. That she loved him. He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek before bringing his mouth down to meet hers.

Leonardo watched his brothers interact with their mates from the entryway to the kitchen, the cup of tea cupped in his hands. He smiled. He was so happy for his brothers. They had found something they had never dreamed was possible but their mates seemed to complete his brothers in ways that Leonardo had never dreamed possible. Not to mention he'd never seen his brothers happier. The family had gotten bigger, and he was sure that in time it would continue to grow.

His thoughts again strayed to the young woman in the alley, so desperate for him to stay. Perhaps she was alone. Perhaps she didn't have family in the city. No one who would notice if she went home or not. Perhaps she had wanted, if only for a minute, to feel like someone cared about what happened to her.

Leonardo could understand that. He smiled again as Michelangelo and Melinda stopped throwing confetti at each other long enough to share a kiss. Donatello and Sabrina hadn't yet surfaced from theirs, and upstairs he was sure that Raphael and Elizabeth were sharing a tender moment of their own with their new baby. He knew Akemi was already asleep in her bed upstairs.

As he watched his brothers with their mates and saw the lights twinkling on the tree they had not yet taken down he felt a surge of hope go through him. This year he was sure would be a good one.

"Happy New Year," He said quietly, sure that his brothers hadn't heard. But that didn't bother him. They were caught in the moment, and that was what mattered. Life is a series of moments, and you had to make the good ones count and let the bad ones pass you by.

Leonardo's smile grew as he headed upstairs to his room. He would talk to Splinter in the morning.

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><p><strong>AN AGAIN: I seemed to have caused some confusion. This isn't Leonardo's story in my romance series. I apologize to anyone who thought it was. This was simply a one shot story that had my original original characters in it that I wrote for the holiday season. **

**For now Leonardo's story has been put on the back burners. I haven't really been in the mood to write much of anything, let alone a romance after calling off my engagement. I haven't been in the best of places this last month and that comes across in my writing. I want to give Leo the story he deserves and not something I just spat out because I wasn't in a good place. He deserves as good an effort as I can give like I did with the others. My goal is to have it done in 2015. So hopefully I will. **

**Once again I do apologize to those who thought that's what this was. **


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